Lad mag, which boasts a paid circulation of more than 2Â½ million, has in recent weeks hammered out deals with Dimension Films and NBC that go beyond the usual cover story horse-trading.

As for Dimension, Maxim went “beyond the call of duty,” as one insider put it, to make the mag’s May cover a full-on “Sin City” spectacular.

In a coup for Maxim, “Sin” creator Frank Miller designed a collector’s edition cover featuring original art. And yes, since it’s Maxim, Miller drew a busty beauty as the cover model (and included a splash of blood).

The Miller-designed cover — on newsstands April 12– will be included with only 20% of the mag’s press run, in part to make it more of a collector’s item. Other 80% of issue will feature “Sin” star Brittany MurphyBrittany Murphy, (barely) dressed in character, and two prominent mentions of the movie’s title (including the pic’s stylized logo).

What’s more, the story inside is focused almost as much on “Sin” as it is on Murphy herself.

By contrast, many mags that aren’t specifically geared toward showbiz tend to emphasize the star over the project. “Sin” star Jessica Alba, for example, is on the cover of GQ — but there’s no mention of the movie on the cover.

Dennis Publishing director Andy Clerkson said Maxim is “constantly looking to work with the studios and TV networks and record companies to see how we can best promote the projects and get the best for our readers.”

“There’s no editorial independence lost,” he added. “It’s part of pop culture, and we see it as a way of selling more magazines, which is what we’re in the business of doing.”

To that end, “We’re trying to make these things work on all levels,” Clerkson said.